- Biden Unveils COVID-19 Aid Plan; Sanders to Use Budget Reconciliation to Push For “Aggressive” Relief
- White House Issues $27.4B Budget Rescission Request
- Education Department Releases Additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funing
- Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding the National Security Presidential Memorandum on Research and Development Security
- Upcoming Events
BIDEN UNVEILS COVID-19 AID PLAN; SANDERS TO USE BUDGET RECONCILIATION TO PUSH FOR “AGGRESSIVE” RELIEF
Yesterday, President-elect Joe Biden unveiled the “American Rescue Plan,” a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan that will “change the course of the pandemic, build a bridge towards economic recovery, and invest in racial justice.” The proposal is divided into three major areas: $400 billion for a national vaccination program and school reopening, which includes a $35 billion in new funding for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund and $5 billion for governors to use on the “hardest hit” higher education, K-12, or early childhood programs; more than $1 trillion in relief for American families, including $1,400 in direct assistance to individuals and an expansion of unemployment insurance benefits; and $440 billion to “support communities … struggling in the wave of COVID-19,” including $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, and tribal governments.
The proposed $35 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund would “be directed to public institutions, including community colleges, … public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions.” Notably, private institutions are not specified as eligible for the proposed new funding. AAU and the higher education community are seeking additional information and clarification about this omission.
According to the administration, the package is part of a two-step plan that will “[invest] in America, [create] millions of additional good-paying jobs, [combat] the climate crisis, [advance] racial equity, and [build] back better than before.” Bloomberg Government reports that the second phase of the plan will be revealed in the coming weeks.
In the Senate, incoming Budget Committee Chair Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is expected to use the budget reconciliation process to push aggressively for increased COVID-19 aid and Democratic priorities for economic aid, infrastructure, and climate change. Sanders told Bloomberg Government that he plans to “address the immediate health and economic crisis at hand.” Use of the budget reconciliation process could limit supplemental appropriations for higher education, research, and other sectors of the economy.
WHITE HOUSE ISSUES $27.4B BUDGET RECISSION REQUEST
The White House yesterday sent a $27.4 billion recission request to Congress. The package includes sweeping cuts to largely bipartisan programs, including: scientific research, including renewable energy and energy efficient technology research and development; the NIH; a public-private vaccine distribution partnership, known as GAVI; and more. Lawmakers are unlikely to consider the request when they return to Washington after the Inauguration Jan. 20.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RELEASES ADDITIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING
The Education Department this week announced the availability of $21.2 billion in funding through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II included in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, or the “CRRSAA.” The Relief Fund includes $20.5 billion for public and non-profit colleges and universities and $681 million for proprietary schools. For existing private nonprofit and public CARES Act grantees, the CRRSAA authorized supplemental awards to existing Student Aid Portion and Institutional Portion grantees; these institutions will not be required to submit new or revised applications to receive these new funds. All other institutions will need to apply for aid using the “Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs.”
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES MEMO ON SECURING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The White House yesterday announced that President Trump had signed a presidential memo, “Securing United States Government-Supported Research and Development,” which aims to “[strengthen] the protections of United States Government-supported research and development … against foreign government interference and exploitation.” The memo, which was released is expected to be released later today, will include guidelines for agencies and institutions to help them ensure the transparency and security of their federally funded research. The guidelines were created by the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Joint Committee on the Research Environment’s Subcommittee on Research Security.
UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY 26 RESEARCH SECURITY VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM; 12:00-4:00 p.m. ET. More information available here. Registration available here.